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1. .fu e e h S e e h s 4 S. E U Q C A J ...m .u d o M o m PNEUMATIC DBSPATGH TUBE.

No. 564,427. Patented July 2 1, 1896.

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J. JACQUES. PNEUMATIG DESPATGH TUBE.

' N0. 564,427. Patented July 21, 1896.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. JACQUES. PNEUMATIU DBSPATCH TUBE.

Patented Julyzl, 1896,

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(No Model.) l 4 sheets-sheet 4. J. JACQUES.

PNBUMATIG DESPATGH TUBE.

No. 564,427. l Patented July 21, 1896.

WFL E55E5 IFP/E m2\ ZA/Q@ @f/MMOM/ UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

JAMES JACQUES, OF LOW'ELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE JACQUES STORE EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PNEUMATICDES`PATCH TUBE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 564,427, dated July 21, 1896.

Application filed August 5, 1895. Serial No. 558,236. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern,.- the main line and the siding at a salesmans Be it known that I, JAMES J AGQUES, a citistation and a closed switch, showing also in i zen of the United States, residing at Lowell, side elevation a carrier in the main line in the county of Middlesex and Commonand showing in dotted lines the switch open, 55 5 wealth of Massachusetts, haveinvented a cera carrier in the siding, and the electromagtain new and useful Improvement in Pneunet which opens said switch; Fig. 6, a plan maticDespatch Tubes, of which the followof `send-offs in the cashiers station, a corre ing is a specification. sponding number of switch-controlling elec- My invention relates to pneumatic-detromagnets and their armatures, and a dia- 6o 1o spatch tubes; and it consists in the devices grammatic representation of the circuit-closand combinations hereinafter described and ers, circuits, andbattery; Fig. 7 acentralverclaimed. tical longitudinal section of a receiver or This invention is adapted to be used -for catcher ata salesmans station. cash-carriers and similar purposes, and is In Fig. l, A represents a cashiers desk or 65 15 shown and described as applied in a cashcentral station, and B the counter of a store,

carrier system. both of any usual construction, and it is as- The object of this invention is to provide a sumed that there are places or stations A A2 single main line of pipe or tubing leading A3 for threesalesmen at said counter. Asinfrom the cashiers desk or central station and gle continuous main line of pipe or tubing C 7o zo having sidings or short branches at the diiferextends from above the cashiers desk A out ent outlying or salesmens stations, instead of over all the salesmens stations A A2 A3 and a separate line for each salesman continuous then back under or behind said counter to from said desk to the station of said salesman; saidl desk, and constitutes the way in which to enable the cashier by the mere act of placthe cash-boxes or other carriers travel. 7 5 2 5 ing the cash-box or carrier in the proper re- A suitable blower D, of usual construction,

ceptacle to cause to be opened a switch from sends a current of air through the line C, in l the main line into the proper siding, to rethe direction indicated bythe arrows adjacent turn said carrier to the station from which it to said line, and out at the usual vent-pipe c was received; automatically to restore the near the end of said line, the line being con- 8o 3o switch immediatelyl after the entrance of the tinued past said Vent cinto a suitable receiver cash-box into the siding, thus making the or catcher E, which is preferably of the form main line continuous; to make the line out shown in Fig. 7, that is, a boX having an iu. and the line in continuous with eachother, clined bottom e, a vertical back e', continuthus dispensing with the necessity, in many ous with a side of the pipe C, a vertical front 85 3 5 cases, of aseparate fan for propelling the care2, an inclined top e3 or iixed cover, an openriers back to the desk and in all cases effecting c4 in the top e3, at the front of said box, ing a great saving in the first cost of the tublarge enough to admit the hand to remove the ing and in the space occupied thereby. carrier-F, and a cushion or buffer e5 to receive i In the accompanying drawings, on four. the impact'of the carrier as it falls from the 9o 4o sheets, Figure lis a front elevation of a cashtube C. It will be seen that the opening e4 iers desk, a counter, and a pneumatic-cash is arranged at such a distance from the cushcarrier system containing my improvement, ion e5 and the angle which the top c3 makes including the tubing, fan-blower, the receivwith the path of the carrier is such as to preing and sending appliances for three salesvent said carrier from rebounding from said 95 45 mens stations, and the air-vent; Figs. 2 and cushion and flying through said opening, and

3, respectively, a front and a side elevation thatthe cushion lessens the danger of the carl of send-offs in the cashiers desk or station; rier bursting through the bottom of the box Fig. 4, a front elevation of two send-os in or catcher. the cashiers station, one of said send-offs At each outlying or salesmans station A' 10o 5o being in section; Fig. 5, a side elevation, A2 A3 the main line of tubing opens into a partly in central section, of the junction of branch or siding c c2 c3, which terminates in a receiver or catcher E E2E3, like the receiver E at the cashiers stationand serving a like purpose. At the cashiers or central station there are as many send-offs Gr as there are outlying or salesmens stations, each send-oft consisting of a short branch pipe or tube g, leading into the main line, as shown in Fig. 4f, and at theouter end beveled from opposite sides to the middle at equal angles at g g', say of about forty-iive degrees, to said sides, a box g2, formed in halves g3 g3 and having iiaps g4 g4, which, when the halves of said box are closed against each other, as shown at the left of said Fig. 4, rest upon and it said bevels or angles g g and close the outer end of said branch g, and springs g5 g5, (represented as leaf-springs,) ca ch secured at one end to one of said halves g3 g3 and at the other end to the side of said branch g, these springs normally holding the halves of the box together. The bottom g6 g of each halt of the box g2 is inclined so that these bottoms form the inclined faces of a hollow wedge. At each salesmans station there is a send-off G G2 G3 precisely like the send-off G, above described, connected by a branch c4 c5 cG to the main line.

The carrier F is well known, being in common use, and is a hollow metallic cylinder, having at its ends concentric supporting-circles f f of felt or similar soft material, larger than the body of the carrier, to lessen wear of the tube or line C, and having at the rear end a conical flap f2 of leather, to be expanded by the pressure of the blast from the blower to fill the tube and prevent the air from leaking through the space between the carrier and the walls of the tube.

The carrier F is pushed into the box g2 of a send-ofi", crowding apart the halves of said box, as shown at the right in Fig. 4, and is drawn by the current of air, assisted in some cases by the weight of said carrier, into the main line. When a carrier is placed in any salesmans send-off, said carrier is immediately propelled by the air-current to the cashiers station and there discharged into the receiver E, no switches being required on the line in, that is, the line from the outlying stations to the central station.

In order that the cashier may be able to send a carrier to a particular salesman, the junction of each siding c c2 c3 is provided with a switch H H2 H3, each comprising, Fig. 5, a iap or gate 7L, capable of closing either the main line or lthe entrance to the siding trance to the siding c' c2 c3 is provided with a recess c7,wh1ch normally receives said finger.

Each iap moves easily and is held in either position by the air-blast, the siding and the main line having the same capacity or crosssection.

The pivot 7L of the iap 7L turns with said i'lap and has rigidly secured to it an arm or lever h3, which carries the armature m of an electromagnet M, there being such a magnet for each switch H H2 H3, and each magnet being connected by a separate conductingwire L L2 L3 to a battery B or generator of electricity, whilea single return-wireL serves for all said magnets. In each conductingwire L L2 L3 is arranged a normally open circuit closer N N2 N8, each consisting of a pair of sprin gs a n', insulated at n2 n3 from each other and from the send-oit, but supported on the stationary part of the latter in such a manner that in opening the box g2 one of the halves of said box strikes the spring n and pushes it against the spring n' of the same pair, closing the circuit through the corresponding electromagnet and switching the siding adjacent to said magnet into connection with the main line. It is only necessary to designate the carrier used at a particular salesmans station and the corresponding send-oit at the cashiers station by the same number or other mark to make sure that each salesman will receive back his own carrier unless through inexcusable carelessness on the part of the cashier. To make it certain that the flap h shall not be accidentally turned from its proper position, the pivot h' of said flap is provided outside of the tube with a projection h4, having two oppositely beveled surfaces, and a spring-pawl h5 is ar ranged to engage said projection and to hold said lap in either of its positions, the free end of said pawl h5 having a tooth with oppositely-beveled surfaces hh?, adapted to ride over said projection when a considerable amount of force is applied to said iiap, but to hold said flap from turning against the application of any ordinary force.

The described improvement is of course applicable to any pneumatic-carrier system connecting a central station with outlying stations.

I claim as my invention in a pneumaticdespatch-tube systeml. The combination of amain line of tubing connecting a central station with an ontlying station, a siding or branch at said outlying station, and a mechanical switch normally disconnecting the main line and said siding, an electromagnet having an armature movable with said switch, an electric circuit including said magnet, a normally open circuit-closer at said central station to close said circuit and to operate said switch, to make the corresponding siding continuous with said main line, and a send-ott box normally closed and adapted when opened to close said circuit-closer, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination ot a centralstation and IOC) IIO

i I 7Witnesses:

v,Carrier into a siding will close the corresponding switch as and for the purpose specified. In witness whereof I have signed this specication, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, this 2d day of August, A. D. 1895.4

JAMES JACQUES.

ALBERT M. MOORE, EUGENE F. CARDELL. 

